The spunmelt nonwoven equipment sector is witnessing a demand expansion driven by technological iteration. Industry data shows that in the first half of 2026, Hongda Research Institute saw new contracts surge 148.7% year-on-year and orders on hand grow 86.4%. This growth rate far exceeds the industry average, indicating a significant rise in downstream clients' willingness to invest in high-end nonwoven production lines, underpinned by persistently growing demand for differentiated and functional nonwoven materials.
Event Background
From a market perspective, Hongda advanced both domestic and international projects in H1. Overseas projects in Turkey and Poland entered on-site installation and service phases, earning client recognition for technical service capabilities. Domestically, the Fujian project passed acceptance, Hebei project delivery made substantial progress, Zhejiang project contracts took effect, and interest from new clients in Jiangsu is heating up. This multi-front expansion reflects the global spunmelt nonwoven equipment market recovering from post-pandemic adjustments, with particularly urgent demand for high-efficiency line upgrades in Europe and Central-Eastern Europe.
Notably, Hongda achieved breakthroughs in technological innovation. After three years of R&D, the ionic liquid solvent bamboo fiber project entered pilot engineering design, with 3D modeling and engineering design completed on schedule, and construction drawings planned by Q3. If successfully industrialized, this technology could reduce the environmental load of traditional viscose production and offer new raw material options for nonwovens. Meanwhile, the self-developed wide-width PE/PP bicomponent spunbond line has successfully completed trial production and achieved commercial delivery, with all performance indicators fully meeting standards. Such lines can produce high value-added hygiene and filtration materials, directly relevant to buyers' product structure upgrades.
Industry Impact
The high contract growth reflects downstream clients' heightened requirements for intelligent, energy-efficient, and flexible equipment. Traditional spunbond lines can no longer meet differentiated needs, while equipment capable of multi-component, wide-width, and high-speed production is becoming the new market favorite. For equipment manufacturers, this means R&D investment must be front-loaded, and the depth of technology reserves directly determines order sustainability. Hongda's multi-point breakthroughs in specialty fiber spinning processes exemplify this trend—the era of single-product dominance is over, and turnkey solutions and rapid customization capabilities are now core competitive factors.
For upstream suppliers, the surge in equipment orders will drive demand for key components such as servo motors, thermal rolls, and spinnerets. However, rising localization of high-end equipment also means more opportunities for local supply chains, though technical barriers remain, requiring suppliers to increase investment in precision machining and materials science. For downstream nonwoven producers, equipment renewal cycles may accelerate, but investment decisions require careful assessment of product positioning: for medical or filtration applications, new bicomponent lines are worth considering; for traditional hygiene materials, capacity-demand balance should be prioritized.